Wire cutting and bending machine



Dec. 1, 1959 K. E. FRERICHS 2,915,103

WIRE CUTTING AND SENDING MACHINE Filed .Aug. 18. 1958 4-Sheets-Sheet 1 ONE RE VOLU 710M //2 h 4 CLUTCH INVENTOR.

TOQAEY Dec. 1, 1959 K. E. FRERICHS WIRE CUTTING AND BENDING MACHINE Filed Aug. 18. 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Izzzzefi E1 li'erz'clas' 1959 K. E. FRERICHS 2,915,103"

WIRE cuw'rmc AND BENDING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 18. 1958 0 7 Z VII 4 I: A w H 8 M J T Z 5 4 2L. w a 00 m a 3 3 a 4% 2% INVENTORQ EFreriels Dec. 1,.1959 K. E. FRERICHS WIRE CUTTING 'AND BENDING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 18, 1958 1W ENT OR. IlzzleZZ/ I. Herz'cls BY TORNEY- 2,915,103 r I WIRE CUTTING AND BENDING MAG-HINE mesue assignments, to Sylvania Electric Products Inc, Wilmington, Del., a corporationof Delaware Application August-18; 195s, Serial-No. 7 555649 screams; (Cli 153 16)" This invention relates to awire cutting and-bending machine.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple; machine which shall cut a wire to predetermined lengthan'dthen fold the wire midway of its length intoV forml A-forniof machinev for carrying out the invention is exemplified in theaccor'npahying' drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of the machine with the dr ve mechanisms for the various parts shown more or less diagrammatically and exemplified as fluid operated servo" motors.

Fig. 2 isa section on the line'2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 isa section on theline 3'3 ofFig. 1 Fig. 4 is a'detail of wire clamping mechanism."

Fig. 5 isa front view of a wire cutting' a'nd bendingmechanism after a bending mandrel has'been brought to operative position. v H V Fig; 6 is a similar'view'showing the POSllIlOIl'Of parts after the wire cutter has be'enrendered operative.

Fig. 7 shows a preliminary bendingoperation'on the wire, after the cutter has been raised. Fig. 8 showsan intermediate stage in the position of parts duringthe'bending of the wire.

Fig. 9 shows the final position assumed by parts when w the wire'has-been bent. I p Fig. 10 shows a restored positionof-the bendirig mechanism and Fig. 11 shows the final position of parts, wen-the mandrel raised and carrying the bent wire in position for easy removal thereof from the machine.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, at 20v there is indicated the table of a machine on which is suitably supported the wire cutting and bending mechanism.

Mounted on the table is a rectangular block 22 having vertical cutting side walls 24 and 26 and an upper surface 28 on which a wire 30 to be cut and folded may be laid by an operator.

In the upper surface near the side wall 24 and parallel to it is a recess 32, spanned by the wire 30. The wire is laid in place between a pair of posts 34 and 36 in a position such that it spans the recess and has its ends extending over the side walls. The post 34 is a rectangular prism fixed in the upper surface while the post 36 may be slidably shiftable in a slot 21 in the block 22 laterally toward and from stop 34 to clamp a wire. In order to move the post 36, there is provided'a fluid pressure operated servo motor 38 controlled as will be described, whose piston rod 40 is threaded into the lower end of post 36.

Suitably fastened to a standard (not shown) mounted on the table 20 and above the block 22 is a pair of servo motors 42 and 44. The piston rod 43 of the motor 42 carries a horizontal plate or mandrel 46 in a position to be brought down close to the wire 30 and with one edge 48 in line with one edge of the recess 32 as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. such or the cylinder is adjusted to a height such that The stroke of the piston is madeshownin Fig. 10 and then the mandrelinits dowflposition will not erush the' wire but will merely contact the I same: The piston frod 49 ofthesecorid niotor' 4 4 carries a" U shaped' cutter blade 50-whose'leg's'52cooperate withthe endwalls-24'iand 26 to'cut the' wi're'laid across the top of the block. The? sequence of'operatioh ofparts' thus far described isthat' when a wire has beenlaidoii the block 22 betweenth posts"34"and 36, the1pbst36" is operated t o clamp the wire ('Fig. 4),:then the mandrel is'brough't' down close to the wire (Fig. 5 and the cutter operated'to 'c'ut offthe' ends (Fig.'6 q

Normally resting; by gravity, in the recess 32 111 the block isa rol1er54." The roller'is' supported 'by'an' arm of alever 56gpiv'oted'in aelefta't the top of a shiftable pivot stud 58 and operated by'th'e piston 59ofaservo motor 60 supported from the" table whose piston rod has a flat plate 62* engageable with a roller 64' atthe end-of" the lever.-*- The p'ivot'istud is fixed. 011 a slide" block 66-.slidablenin"a pair'of parallel ways 68 fixedly mounted on 'the1 tab le"2'0. The slide-block is operated by" a, servof'motor 70. It has" already been described how thewire clamp; mandrel andeutteract. wire has-beencut, as-xshbwn in-Figj 6, thecutter," but not the mandrelfislifted to'the'position shown in Figi'T. Substantial-1y". simultaneously with the lifting of thecu'tter 50, the motor '60 is energized to depress the"plate -62 which thereupon engages the roller-64" to tilt thel'evr 5 6- to thvpositibn-rshownin Fig. 7. The mnerfsmat} the left hand *end of 'the lever thereupon rides" up" on of the recess 32 and-"b'ends the wire 30 at substantially a right angle about the edge of the mandrel -46 Fluidf pressure is then". applied to the-servo motor 70';whieh"- then initiates lateral' 'mbvement-of th'e r'ollei'i54'i At? the same time fluidpfessur is appliedto therilo'fof When the 'roller 54 reaches "the position shown in Fig;

the piston-in cyliiider60' is raised to'itsfiill pos'itionl Thereafter-=the?'1piston in motor 70 continues"its s" ke until it reachesthe left hand 'of the cylin'der'ar'id the" roller 54-has-fcompleted its= travelover the wife to the" position-shown-in' rf'igi Continuing with the operation of pressure is* admittedito the lefthands to allow the-roller "54*- to of motor 70 the motor 38 is operated to release the clamp jaw. Finally fluid pressure is admitted beneath the piston in motor 42 to raise the mandrel 46 to the position shown in Fig. 11. When the wire is released from pressure of the roller 54 due to the retracting action of the motor 70, it will, due to its resiliency, spring to V form and when the mandrel is in its up position, the wire may be readily stripped off by an operator from its support, and parts are in position whereby another wire to be cut and folded may be placed on the block 22.

While many forms of drive and controls for the different parts maybe provided, there is here shown a continuously operating electric motor supported by the table whose shaft 82 is driven at a desired speed, the

able configuration to operate valves 92 in the sequence to obtain the required sequence of operation of clamp,

mandrel, cutter and bending roller previously described.

The valves may be of any suitable character and are here shown as being slide valves each having a casing 94 fixedly mounted on the table and a slide valve 96 therein. The slide valves are urged in one direction by a slide valve rod 98 fixed to the slide valve and engaging a cam and in an opposite direction by a spring 100" of suflicient force to overcome the pressure of the fluid After the drop into ths recess a z';

above the piston, when the surface of the cam 90 withdraws from the rod 98, the spring reacting between the piston and one end of the cylinder. The cylinder is vented at each end as indicated at 102, and the piston has vapair of, passages .104. each communicating with a side of the piston and with its respective ,end of the piston via conduits'105 and 106..- When the piston moves to its up or down position, a correlated end ofa servo motor, for example, motor 60, is vented, as can be seen in the drawing. A cross bore 107 midway between the side ports of passages 104 connects with the unvented end of the motor to allow fluid pressure to enter the motor. Fluid pressure flows from dcompressor 108 and manifold 110 to each of the valves via ports 112 in alignment with the bore 107 when. "the slide valve.

is at either of its twoextreme positions. f

Having thus described the invention, 'whatisclaimed isz.

1. A wire bending :machine comprising' a *base, a block mounted on said-base and adapted to; support a wire, a recess in said block,a mandrel 'abovesaid block" movable toward and from said block withfoneedge of the mandrel close to an edge of the recess, a lever pivoted on the base having a free. end lying ,insaidlrecess-and below the wire, means pivoting the lever so as to bring the free end out of the recess to preliminarily bend the wire to an L-shape about themandrel, and means shifting the pivot of said lever in a direction transverse to the recess and in a direction toward the mandrelto complete the bending of the wire into U-shape about the mandrel.

2. A wire bending machine comprising a base, a block mounted onsaidbase having opposed cutting edges and adapted to support a wire extending across and beyond said cutting edges, a pair of cutter blades recipro catable toward and, from said block and cooperative with said edges tocut ofi the overlapping ends of said block, a recess in said block, a mandrel above said block movable toward and fromsaid block with one edge of the mandrel close to an edge of the recess, a lever pivoted on the base having a free end lying in said recess and below the .wire, means pivoting the lever so as to bring the free end out of the recess to preliminarily bend the Wire to an L-shape about the mandrel, and means shifting the pivot of said lever in-a direction transverse to the recess and to complete the bending of'the wire into U-shape about the mandrel.

3. A wire bending machine comprising a base, ablock, mounted on said base and adapted to support a wire and- 4 having upstanding spaced lugs to accommodate said wire, a recess in said block, a mandrel above said block movable toward and from said block with one edge of the mandrel close to an edge of the recess, a lever pivoted on the base having a free end lying in said recess and below the wire, means pivoting the lever so as to bring the free end out of the recess to preliminarily bend the wire to an L-shape about the mandrel, and means shifting the pivot of said lever in a direction transverse to the recess and to complete the bending of the wire into U-shape about the mandrel.

4. A wire bending machine comprising a base, a block mounted on said base and adapted to support a wire and having upstanding spaced lugs to accommodate a wire therebetween, means to relatively move the lugs toward each other to clamp the wire, a recess in said block, a mandrel above said block movable toward and from said block with one edge of the mandrel close to an edge of the recess, a lever pivoted on the base having a free end lying in said recess and below the wire, means pivoting the lever so as to bring the free end out of the recess to preliminarily bend the wire to an L-shape about the mandrel, and means shifting the pivot of said lever in a direction transverse to the recess and to complete the bending of the wire into U-shape about the mandrel.

5. A wire bending machine comprising a base, a block mounted'on said base and adapted to support a wire, a recess in said block, a mandrel above said block movable toward and from said block with one edge of the mandrel close .to an edge of the recess, a lever pivoted on the base having a roller on its free end lying in said recess and below the wire, means pivoting the lever so as to bring the roller free end out of the recess to preliminarily bend the wire to an L-shape about the mandrel, and means shifting the pivot of said lever in a direction transverse to the recess and to complete the bending of the wire into U-shape about the mandrel.

0 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Larkm Jan. 20, 

